his fortune at Benhur, and
remained quite unmoved at the story of the sufferings of a woman and
child from hunger and want.

"Your wife is beautiful," was all he answered when Gregorio paused for
a moment. At these words, however, he half rose from his place and
clinched his hands savagely. But he sank back again with the remembrance
that a show of temper would not advance his cause.

"Very beautiful," he answered, chokingly; "would you see her starve?"

"She is not my wife," said Amos, quietly. Then he continued slowly,
pausing at intervals to puff out a cloud of smoke from his mouth:

"You have owed me this money a long time. I want it, and I will have it.
Even in Egypt there is law. You do not like us Jews, but the law will
protect me as long as I am rich enough to buy justice. In three days
you will pay me this money. I have been generous to you; now I will be
generous no longer. If I am not paid I will take measures to recover my
loss. You will sleep in the streets like the Arabs, my friend; but
the weather is warm. It is early summer, so you will scarcely feel the
exposure. In three days you will come and pay me."

"But how am I to get the money? If you would lend me only a few pounds I
would repay you all I owe."

"Already you owe me more than you can pay. You can make money. You are
married. These Christian women are worse than the Arabs; do I not see
them as I come home in the evening from my business? It is not right to
borrow and not repay. I need my money. How can I have my coffee and my
pipe unless I have money?"

Gregorio listened with growing anger, and finally rose from his seat and
shook his fist in the old man's face.

"You shall be paid," he shouted, "you shall be paid!"

"Anger is useless, my friend."

And as Gregorio left the house Amos smiled and stroked his beard.
"Truly," he thought, "these Christians hate us, but we have them in our
power. It is pleasant to be hated and yet to know that it is to us they
must cringe when they are in need; and it is very pleasant to refuse. My
friend Gregorio is not happy now that he is struggling in my grasp."

As for Gregorio, he wandered away toward the harbour, kicking savagely
at the refuse scattered along the pavement. He did not know how to set
about earning the requisite sum. It was no good applying to the hotels
or tourist agencies, for there were few visitors in the city and
dragomen were therefore not needed.

His friends were too poor to